Some portable electronic devices are used and/or placed in harsh environmental conditions. In particular, portable utility metering communication devices may be used in the field (e.g., outdoors) to communicate with and/or program wireless endpoints, which are typically integrated or in communication with utility meters of an automatic meter reading (AMR) collection system. Utility providers typically use the portable utility metering communication devices to install, control, maintain and/or collect utility usage data from the endpoints. The portable utility metering communication devices also enable and/or facilitate communication between the endpoints and other portable devices for diagnostics, data transfers, etc.
Typically, because the portable utility metering communication devices are used outdoors, they are exposed to harsh environmental conditions (moisture, liquids, extreme temperatures, heavy winds, impact(s), etc.). Operation of the portable utility metering communication devices often requires input via a tactile button, which may be environmentally-sealed to withstand harsh environmental conditions. Environmentally-sealed tactile buttons may pose significant expense and/or complex design implementations such as design features in parts and extraneous components to environmentally isolate and/or attach or mount the buttons, etc.
Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawing(s) and accompanying written description to refer to the same or like parts. As used in this disclosure, stating that any part is in any way positioned on (e.g., positioned on, located on, disposed on, or formed on, etc.) another part, means that the referenced part is either in contact with the other part, or that the referenced part is above the other part with one or more intermediate part(s) located therebetween. Stating that any part is in contact with another part means that there is no intermediate part between the two parts.